Die cast loose-leaf ring metal frame



Jan. 5, 1954 P. o. DERRINGER DIE CAST LOOSE-LEAF RING METAL FRAME Filed July 29, 1950 Patented Jan. 5, i954 DIE CAST LOOSE-LEAF RING METAL FRAME Pete O. Derringer, St. Louls,.Mo., asslgnor to Loose Leaf Metals Company, St. Louis, Mo., a.

corporation of Missouri v ApplicationJuly'29, 1950, Serial No. 176,699

2 Claims. (01.129-24) Y r The present invention relates generally to loose' leaf ring binders, 'andmore particularly to a die'cast ringmetal frame'for loose leaf binders.

In brief, the novel device herein described includes two identical metal castings cooperatively an opened or closedposition'as determined by the direction of over-center movement of the coactingbase elements; and booster engageable webs. 3 g

It is an object of thepresentinvention to pro- Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary end view of an arch, taken substantially on' the line 8-8 Fig.5? he I Referring to the drawings more particularly by the numerals thereon, I0 indicates generally a loose leaf ring metal frame constructed according to the teachings of the present invention.

The loose leaf ring metal frame l0 includes two identical metal die castings ll cooperativelyassembled'in a spring shield 12.

.The castings ll vmay be of any suitable material, suchas a zinc base die cast metal which has been determined to produce excellent castvide a'novel die cast ring metal frame of ex-- and eflicient service of the type for whichit is designed. I

the-invention is to provide of the invention is to provide.

posed one to the other, the two abutting arches The foregoing and-other objects and advan-f:v

tages are apparent from the following description taken with the accompanying drawing, in which; a

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a shield encased die cast loose leaf ring-metal frame constructed ac,

cording to the teachings of the present invention;

, Fig. 2 isa side elevational view thereof; N .Fig. 3 is'a bottom plan view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a verticaL'transverse, cross-sectionalg, .view on substantially'the .llineQl-l of mg. 2,

with the ring metal frame in closed position;

, Fig. 5 ;i s a vertical, transverse, cross-sectional view-on "substantially the line 5-5 ofFig. 2,

ings, and each includes a longitudinal bar I I3 havingtransversely extending arches 14,15 and i6, and transversely extending base elements .ll, [8 and l 9, the longitudinal spacing of said arches and; said base elements being symmetrical with respect to a transverse centerline 20. Flat webs 2| extending outwardlyfrom the base elements l1 and I9 and merging with these respective base elements and with "extensions 2201? the longitudinal bar 13 are provided for the purpose of employing conventional boosters .for actuating the loose leaf rings. h I

Except wherejoined bythe arches I 4,. l5 and I6, the longitudinal bar l 3 has a cross-sectional shape, as shown at 251in Fig. 5, which crosszesctional shape 25 includes a wedge-shaped edge L shaped to the configuration best shown at 21in Fig. 1 wherein;thesymmetrical Sv form provides a self-aligning joint 21 such that, when the free ends of any two archesjare appropriately topform a continuous are through the joint.

Thebaseelements l1, l8 and l9 are identical except forthe treatment oftheirfree ends. The

base element ll has a wedge-shaped endiii and "the 'base"e'lernent 19 has a V notch 36,. the base elements" and i9 being equifdistant from the transverse centerline gflflThe angle included, in the'V notch 38 is "greater than the angle of the wedge 35 iso as to providefor cooperative action j between] these'two base elements, a'swill appear. Thebaseelem'entl 8, being disposed on the transverse centerline '20, has 'onefhalf 31 9 1? its free end a d. t areeves.i9r d.iih ;@inrhalf 8 shaped "tea concave form; so that" an identical opposing base element l8 may dispose a convex half 31 in the disclosed concave half 38, and a concave half 38 may receive the disclosed convex half 31.

It may thus be seen that two identical castings II, when opposed to each other as in Figs. 1

through 6, will coact one with the other to form a plurality of separable rings having self-aligning joints, said alignment being maintained transversely (with respect to the planes of the rings) by the cooperative engagement of the ends of the arches and vertically by the cooperative engagement of the ends of the base elements.

The ,spring. shield lg. may be form d from a single strip of metal, such as steel, to have a cross-sectional shape as shown at 40 in Fig. 5. The transverse shape shown at 40 includes an arc 4| and turned-back flanges 42 to form angular recesses 43. This c r oss sect ional,shape is continuous for a length exce e ding ther'naxi-mum length of the metal castings H, except for pairs of opposed notches 46, 41 and 48. The ends of the spring shield I! may be treated i any appropriate manner to form a finished appearance, as at 49. Holes, such as lifl, may be provided for attaching the loose leaf ring metal frame It! to asuitable binder. a I

In assembling the loose leaf ring metal frame lll two castings II are .disposedparallel to the spring shield I2 with theirarches 14,115 and I6 projecting through.the'appropriate notches 46, 41 and 48 and so opposed one to the other as to dispose their respective wedge-shaped edges 26 within the angular recesses 43, and further so as to dispose the ends of the base elements l1, l8 and 13 of one casting II in abutting relation to the ends of the other casing l l as shown in Figs. 4 through 6. Thus assembled, the two castings I l are maintained in cooperative engagement one with the other by the spring action of the arc 4| of the spring shield II. It may be seen that, when the arches of the two. castings II are separated as shown in Figs. 5. and 6, the coacting base elements, such as H. and [9 in Fig. and [3 in Fig. 6, will rotate upwards about the wedgeshaped edges 43 as centers until such upward rotation of the base elements is stopped by abutment of the base elements against the are H of the spring shield l2. In this manner, triangles of compressive forces are forme d, the bases of 1 the trianglesbeing lines through the two wedgeshaped edges .43 and the sides of the triangles being the axes of the respective base elements ll, [3 and i9. The rigidity of these triangles of compressive forces is such as to firmly lock the arches in their seperatedpositions. When it is desired to close the arches to form a continuous are. through theirjoints, they are merely pushed together. This causes the base elements, such as H, [land I9, .to rotate downward around the wedge-shaped edges 43 as centers, whereupon the wedge-shaped. edges 35 of the bas elements I! rotate in the V notches 36 of the base elements l3 and the convex portions 31 of the base elements [3 rotate in the concavities 38 thereof, so as to dispose these points of abutment of the ends of the base elements 11 and I3 below the lines through the wedge-shaped edges 43 as shown in Fig. 4. When the ends of the arches are brought together, these points of abutment f the base is inexpensive to make. It is sturdy and well adapted for the simple loose leaf binder of which it forms the base.

The loose leaf ring metal frame above described obviously fulfills the objects and advantages sought therefor. The description is in no sense restrictive, and the substitution of equivalent elements and principles is considered as lying within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a loose leaf metal frame, in combination, a pair of identical frame members in opposed engagement, each frame member being die cast from non-ferrous metal and comprising an elongated bar, an odd plurality of ring arches cast integrally with said bar and extending transversely therefrom, one of said arches being located in a center plane midway between the ends of the'longitudinal bar, the remaining arches being located in spaced symmetry on opposite sides of said center plane, and a base element for each of said arches, said base elements being cast integrally with said bar and extending transversely therefrom, each of said base elements being disposed in the plane of a respective arch, the free end of the base element in said center plane being formed non-symmetrically with respect to said center plane so as to dispose mutually complementary end surfaces on opposite sides thereof; the free ends of the base element which are removed from said center plane being formed symmetrically with respect to the respective planes in which they lie, each base element which is removed in one direction from said center plane having a different end form than the base element which is removed equidistantly in the 'opposite direction from said center plane, said different end forms being such as to provide for mutual pivotal engagement, the free end of each base element on one of saidframe members being in continuous engagement with the free end of a base element on the other of said frame members, the free ends of said arches being of identical form and being adapted for respective engagement with the free ends of the arches in the opposed frame member in one position of movement of said frame members, and means maintaming said frame members in opposed engaging References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,141,157 Trussell June 1, 1915 1,468,846 Trussell Sept. 25, 1923 1,529,454 Trussell Mar. 10, 1925 2,013,552 Dawson Sept. 3, 1935 2,386,024 'Wi1liams Oct. 2, 1945 2,392,508 Segal Jan. 8, 1946 

